Fins seem stuck together?

I have had my betta for maybe 3/4 of a year? I feed him 2 aqueon betta food pellets six times a week. He is in a 2 gallon tank with a heater. The temperature is usually in the 76-78 degree range. When I clean him (50% once a week) I put (dissolved) aquarium salt in there. Lately, his fins have seemed stuck? I can't see any actual fin rot but that doesn't mean that it isn't there.

his top fin seems fine, but the middle fin in the back tapers off to a point without spreading out. It looks stuck together and not good. the bottom fin is spread out sometimes, but sometimes his movement seems restricted.
Also he doesn't really move and hangs out at the top of the tank until I move towards the tank. I have plenty of plants and a cave for him to chillax in but he doesn't go down there.
Any help is much appreciated

 

Welcome to fishlore!
Sounds like clamped fins, it occurs when they are stressed. It happens in many different illnesses, any other symptoms?

 

This his a pic of him. The dirt is not on the inside of the tank, but on the outside, It was like that when I bought it at a yard sale.

 

It kind of looks normal to me.

 

He always hangs around the top, and he will move when I approach the tank, and he also never really goes down to his cave thingy. Should I try doing 25% changes more often? His middle fin never really spreads out ever, and it looks clumped. the other fins look fine though. Sorry the pic is kinda bad so it's hard to see.

 

He always hangs around the top, and he will move when I approach the tank, and he also never really goes down to his cave thingy. Should I try doing 25% changes more often? His middle fin never really spreads out ever, and it looks clumped. the other fins look fine though. Sorry the pic is kinda bad so it's hard to see.

 

Oh, I see that. Maybe he injured it somehow? I'd do water changes more often.

 

I don't think that he's injured. Could he have had fin rot? I look at him with a flashlight every once and a while to check, because my last betta fish also died a mysterious death sort of like this. I don't want him to die! Should I put in aquarium salt more often?

 

It doesn't look or sound like fin rot. You could do a salt bath to be safe.

 

Should I just do a 100% clean to get rid of anything that could be stressing him out?

 

Yes, as long you preserve the beneficial bacteria in the filter.

 

I'm beginning to think that my heater is bad, because the temp is too cold for the betta, maybe 75 or 76 degrees. Do you have a heater that you recommend for a 2 gallon tank?

 

I think your temp is just fine. My smallest tank is 10g, so can't help you there.

 

I don't have a tank that size but this one is 2-5 gallons and has pretty good reviews.

 

I'm just wondering, it could be clamped fins or possibly fin melt? Is your tank cycled? Do you know what your water parameters are for ammonia ( if it's not cycled)

sorry to ask so many questions, I would really like to help if I can

This might be a bit of interesting reading:-



I used aquarium salt to treat my new little rescue betta ( I followed the instructions from the article) as he was very stressed and his fins were in tatters, in a terrible state. It seemed to act like a tonic for him and the results have been amazing, as soon as I changed the water and added the water with aquarium salt he immediately perked up and his fin growth is great.

 

could this be fin melt? I can't seem to find much about it.

 

could this be fin melt? I can't seem to find much about it.

I assume she means fin rot.

 

no I don't apparently fin melt is when the fin looks like it's melted together like plastic

 

no I don't apparently fin melt is when the fin looks like it's melted together like plastic

Oh, okay. Never heard of that. That very well could be it.

 

Sorry, yes fin melt! Not fin rot. I've heard of it but never had a fish with it, but I remember the symptoms are that the fins seem to have almost melted together into points ( a bit like plastic melting)

if you google it there is information about it. I will have a quick look for you and see what I can find......

 

no I don't apparently fin melt is when the fin looks like it's melted together like plastic

Here are a couple of pics of fn melt. Does it look like this?

 

I was just having a good look at your pics, if it's not fin melt then maybe his fins are just clamped. I've always found betta's to like their water a bit warmer than 76-78, they can be a bit lethargic if they're not warm enough. Mine seem to like around 80 degrees!

Maybe be some pristine water and a bit more heat might help